CoLENSo. — On the Moa. 65 



A mountain named Wliakapimake, at least eighty miles distant in a 

 southerly direction, was spoken of as the residence of this creature ; here, 

 however, only one existed, which, it was generally contended, was the sole 

 survivor of the Moa race. Yet they could not assign any possible reason 

 why it should have become all but extinct. 



While, however, the existence of the Moa was universally believed (in 

 fact, to dare to doubt of such a being amounted, in the native estimation, 

 to a very high crime), no one person could be found who could positively 

 testify to his having had ocular demonstration of it ; for while Avith every one it 

 was a matter of the profoundest credence, that belief only rested on the bare 

 and unsupported assertion of others. Many of the natives, however, had 

 from time to time seen very large bones ; larger, from their account, than 

 those of an ox ; these bones they cut up into small pieces for the pm-pose of 

 fastening to their fish-hooks as a lure instead of the Haliotis'^- shell, it 

 answering that purpose much better, from its going more equably through 

 the water. 



It was almost ludicrous, whilst at the same time it showed the powerful 

 effect which this belief of theirs had over them, to witness their unconcealed 

 fear, almost amounting to horror, on requesting them to go to the residence 

 of the Moa to procm-e it, or to act as our guides thither for that purpose. 

 Unlike, too, what has been very frequently observed in savage nations, this 

 fear seemed not to arise h-om any degree of superstitious di-ead, but merely 

 from an abiding conviction of the physical powers of this prodigious animal ; 

 as well as from their belief of the moral certainty of such powers being put 

 into immediate action if they dared to intrude within the precincts of this 

 creature's resort. 



As a matter of course, I treated the whole story (so far as related to the 

 present existence of such an animal) as fabulous ; looking on it as one 

 more of those many peculiar tales and legends which so abounded m the 

 " olden time," and which every nation under heaven invariably possesses. 

 I could not but think, however, what an excellent companion for the cele- 

 brated PiOc\ of oriental story and nursery fau-y-tale it would have made, 

 had it but been known a little earlier : for, however some few grown-up 

 persons may still delight in reading such marvellous exploits, parents gene- 

 rally, I think, have come to the wise conclusion to prohibit their- introduc- 

 tion to the rising generation. 



On our retm-n to the Bay of Islands, several natives fi-om the East Cape 

 district accompanied us. From them I subsequently received pretty nearly 

 the same details concerning the Moa, as I had given me before when in that 

 neighbourhood. 



* See Note B, Appendix I. t See Note C, Appendix I. 



